OET interlinear PSA 57:1

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / imperative

חָנֵּ֤⁠נִי אֱלֹהִ֨ים ׀ חָנֵּ֗⁠נִי

(Some words not found in UHB: to,choirmaster not destroy of,David miktam when,fled,he from=face/in_front_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) in,cave )

These are imperatives, but they communicates a polite request rather than a command. Use a form in your language that communicates a polite request. It may be helpful to add an expression such as “please” to make this clear. Alternate translation: [Please be gracious to me; God, please be gracious to me]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / reduplication

חָנֵּ֤⁠נִי אֱלֹהִ֨ים ׀ חָנֵּ֗⁠נִי

(Some words not found in UHB: to,choirmaster not destroy of,David miktam when,fled,he from=face/in_front_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) in,cave )

David is repeating a phrase in order to intensify his expression of the idea that it conveys. If speakers of your language can repeat phrases for intensification, it would be appropriate to do that here in your translation. If not, your language may have another way of expressing the intensification. Alternate translation: [I ask you earnestly to be gracious to me, God]

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

כִּ֥י

(Some words not found in UHB: to,choirmaster not destroy of,David miktam when,fled,he from=face/in_front_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) in,cave )

Here the word for does not introduce the reason why God should be gracious to David. It introduces David’s explanation of why he wants God to be gracious to him. Use a connecting word or phrase in your language that will make this clear. It may not be necessary to represent this expression explicitly in your translation.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

בְ⁠ךָ֮ חָסָ֪יָה נַ֫פְשִׁ֥⁠י וּ⁠בְ⁠צֵֽל־כְּנָפֶ֥י⁠ךָ אֶחְסֶ֑ה עַ֝֗ד יַעֲבֹ֥ר הַוּֽוֹת

(Some words not found in UHB: to,choirmaster not destroy of,David miktam when,fled,he from=face/in_front_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) in,cave )

These two phrases mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could combine them and express the emphasis in another way. Another approach would be to connect the phrases with a word that shows that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. See how you as a team have decided to translate the parallel phrases in the Psalms, and follow that approach here and throughout this psalm. Alternate translation: [my soul takes refuge in the shadow of your wings until the calamities have passed by] or [in you my soul takes refuge, indeed, in the shadow of your wings I take refuge until the calamities have passed by]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

בְ⁠ךָ֮ חָסָ֪יָה נַ֫פְשִׁ֥⁠י

(Some words not found in UHB: to,choirmaster not destroy of,David miktam when,fled,he from=face/in_front_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) in,cave )

David is using one part of himself, his soul, to mean all of him in the act of taking refuge in God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [in you I take refuge]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

בְ⁠ךָ֮ חָסָ֪יָה נַ֫פְשִׁ֥⁠י

(Some words not found in UHB: to,choirmaster not destroy of,David miktam when,fled,he from=face/in_front_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) in,cave )

David is speaking as if God were actually a refuge or place where he could go to be safe. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [you are the one who keeps me safe]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וּ⁠בְ⁠צֵֽל־כְּנָפֶ֥י⁠ךָ אֶחְסֶ֑ה

(Some words not found in UHB: to,choirmaster not destroy of,David miktam when,fled,he from=face/in_front_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) in,cave )

Here the shadow that wings cast represents the area under the wings that they shelter. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [and in the shelter of your wings I take refuge] or [and under your wings I take refuge]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וּ⁠בְ⁠צֵֽל־כְּנָפֶ֥י⁠ךָ אֶחְסֶ֑ה

(Some words not found in UHB: to,choirmaster not destroy of,David miktam when,fled,he from=face/in_front_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) in,cave )

David is speaking as if God were actually a bird that had wings and as if he were one of that bird’s chicks that would take refuge under those wings. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this image as a comparison. The UST models one way to do that.

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

עַ֝֗ד יַעֲבֹ֥ר הַוּֽוֹת

(Some words not found in UHB: to,choirmaster not destroy of,David miktam when,fled,he from=face/in_front_of Shāʼūl/(Saul) in,cave )

David is speaking of the calamities he is experiencing as if it were living things that could pass by him. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [until these calamities end]